Beaver Mines
| Beaver Mines | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet | |
  Beaver Mines Location of Beaver Mines in Alberta | |
| Coordinates: 49°27′24″N 114°11′50″W / 49.45667°N 114.19722°WCoordinates: 49°27′24″N 114°11′50″W / 49.45667°N 114.19722°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Municipal district | Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9 |
| Census Division | No. 3 |
| Government | |
| • Governing body | Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9 |
| Elevation | 1,300 m (4,300 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Total | 80 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-8) |
| Highways | 774, 507 |
| Waterways | Castle River |
Beaver Mines is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9.[2] It is located in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies on Highway 507, approximately 19 km (12 mi) west of Pincher Creek.
History
The community was formed with the opening of a coal mine in the early 1900s. At one time Beaver Mines had over 1,500 residents. Because of the requirement for steel (rail tracks) during the wars and the reduction in the need for coal, the coal mines eventually closed and the community residents moved away. The last mine shut down its operations in 1971 and currently the mine site and many of the building foundations are on private land. For the past 30 years Beaver Mines has been considered a ghost town and has had numerous write-ups in ghost town books.
Contemporary issues
Currently, due largely to the expansion of Castle Mountain Resort and the growth of Calgary to the north, the hamlet has begun to grow again as a popular recreational destination.
Climate
| Climate data for Beaver Mines | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.0 (86) |
32.2 (90) |
35.6 (96.1) |
33.9 (93) |
35.0 (95) |
28.3 (82.9) |
23.9 (75) |
21.1 (70) |
35.6 (96.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) |
0.7 (33.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
15.0 (59) |
19.0 (66.2) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
17.3 (63.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
2.8 (37) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
10.3 (50.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.6 (20.1) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.4 (39.9) |
9.0 (48.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.5 (59.9) |
15.1 (59.2) |
10.7 (51.3) |
6.0 (42.8) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
4.6 (40.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −11.5 (11.3) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
2.9 (37.2) |
6.4 (43.5) |
8.3 (46.9) |
7.9 (46.2) |
4.2 (39.6) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−9.8 (14.4) |
−1.1 (30) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.6 (−50.1) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−27.8 (−18) |
−20.6 (−5.1) |
−3.9 (25) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−38.3 (−36.9) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42.8 (1.685) |
36.6 (1.441) |
45.4 (1.787) |
56.3 (2.217) |
89.6 (3.528) |
82.3 (3.24) |
59.7 (2.35) |
54.4 (2.142) |
55.2 (2.173) |
40.8 (1.606) |
48.4 (1.906) |
43.0 (1.693) |
654.4 (25.764) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 4.4 (0.173) |
3.0 (0.118) |
3.3 (0.13) |
17.2 (0.677) |
77.0 (3.031) |
82.0 (3.228) |
59.7 (2.35) |
53.0 (2.087) |
48.8 (1.921) |
18.2 (0.717) |
11.3 (0.445) |
6.3 (0.248) |
384.2 (15.126) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 38.4 (15.12) |
33.6 (13.23) |
42.1 (16.57) |
39.1 (15.39) |
12.6 (4.96) |
0.3 (0.12) |
0.0 (0) |
1.3 (0.51) |
6.4 (2.52) |
22.6 (8.9) |
37.1 (14.61) |
36.7 (14.45) |
270.2 (106.38) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.6 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 11.0 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 6.6 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 98.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 1.2 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 4.0 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 7.3 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 60.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 6.8 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 4.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 3.3 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 43.1 |
| Source: Environment Canada[3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Beaver Mines had a population of 80 living in 34 of its 55 total dwellings, a 12.7% change from its 2006 population of 71. With a land area of 0.68 km2 (0.26 sq mi), it had a population density of 118/km2 (305/sq mi) in 2011.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
- ↑ Alberta Municipal Affairs (1 April 2010). "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Retrieved 3 July 2010.
- ↑ "Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000". Environment Canada. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
 |
Crowsnest Pass | Longview | Cowley | |
| Canadian Rockies |  |
Pincher Creek | ||
| ||||
 | ||||
| Castle Mountain Resort | Waterton Lakes National Park | Hill Spring |
